Tricia Liverpool is the Managing Director & Founder at LeoHarper, a specialist recruitment consultancy focusing solely on public relations, communications, advertising and marketing.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your background and career?
I am originally from the England and had an active background in professional sports and dance until I left the UK in 1997 to relocate to Hong Kong. I had a degree in English Literature and was keen to establish myself in the world of PR but after a few years my interest shifted to recruitment.
I then relocated to Australia to start up a business called Ambition which was my first role in that sector and then moved to two other firms before leaving after 12 years to return to Singapore after the birth of my son and working as the MD for a large recruitment organisation.
I have since had a daughter and now run my own headhunting firm Leo Harper specialising in PR and Communications.
2) What is your current role and what does it entail on a day to day basis?
As the Founder and MD of Leo Harper I source talent from the industry across Asia Pacific.
3) What does a typical day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday
I get up at around 7 am and exercise. I have the luxury of having a home office and working remotely thanks to Regus so I can either workout at home in a gym we have in the basement or go for a run in the botanic gardens followed by an outdoor workout.
I am then ready to work from about 9 am and spend the majority of my day working around face to face meetings with either clients or candidates. Because my industry is small and the people I deal with relatively senior, most of my meetings can be held offsite at coffee shops, etc.
I tend to try to finish by 4-ish so I can be home when my children finish school and we tend to eat dinner together. After that I may have an evening call with London once or twice a week as I partner with other entrepreneurs based there.
4) Do you have any tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you manage your workload and schedule?
Do the things you enjoy the least first. I hate spreadsheets but understand they are a necessary evil so I tend to do anything finance related early so they don’t bog me down.
I also diarise things immediately and use WhatsApp over email to schedule so that if I am on the road, I can review conversations in taxis and keep up to date with my commitments.
5) In between your job, life and all your other responsibilities, how do you ensure you find some sort of balance in your life?
I have always been addicted to exercise and after a hiatus living in Bali, I have tried to keep up with the healthy lifestyle I adopted there.
My two children are at an age where it’s easier to balance work and life given I spent a lot of their early years running around a lot more and now that I have my own business, I can spend more time with them which is fulfilling. I also ensure that our weekends are filled with family activities.
6) What does work life balance mean to you?
As above, I love work but I also love my family and I believe the former increases my appreciation of the latter. Now that I no longer run a large recruitment business, I feel that I can choose what I do and when I do it a lot more which is very rewarding.
7) What do you think are some of the best habits you’ve developed over the years to help you strive for success and balance?
Discipline when it comes to health and exercise, less late nights and more varied work days.
8) Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?
I enjoy reading inspirational books such as Bryce Courtenay’s The Power of One and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I find these are great reminders that human beings can still be amazing even in times like these. I am currently reading and enjoying Becoming by Michelle Obama.
9) What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?
Take time to do something I really enjoy each day whether that be a morning workout or enjoying time with family in the evening. It is easy to lose yourself if you do not take time to appreciate life.
10) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Don’t think you can’t do it when it comes to launching/running your own business in order to achieve balance. I only wish I’d made the leap earlier but I am glad I put in the hard years in my 30s in order to enjoy and be successful in my 40s.
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